Roll forming machine including divided roll parts and spacers therefor



June 3, 1969 c. w. WERNTZ 3,447,351

ROLL FORMING MACHINE INCLUDING DIVIDED ROLL PARTS AND SPACERS THEREFOR Filed Dec. so, 1964 Sheet of 2 FIG.

INVENTOR- CHARLES W. WERNTZ ATTORNEY June 3, 1969 c. w. WERNTZ 3,447,351

ROLL FORMING MACHINE INCLUDING DIVIDED ROLL PARTS AND SPAGERS THEREFOR Sheet ,2 of2 Filed Dec. 30, 1964 INVENTOR CHARLES W. WERNTZ ATTORNEY United States Patent 01 E'fice 3,447,351 Patented June 3, 1969 U.S. Cl. 72-181 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE U-shaped spacer clips are removably force fitted on the spindles of roll forming machines, selectively between parts of forming rolls or at their ends, making it possible to use the same rolls for selectively forming government locks, etc., of different sizes. Each spacer clip has a pair of diametrically opposite shoulders facing in the same direction as the open end of the U-shape of the clip. When force is applied to these shoulders to withdraw the clip from the roll spindle, the force deflects the clip sufiiciently to relieve the grasp of its force fit.

The present invention relates generally to machines having a progression of rolls for forming a sheet of metal into a long, narrow part having a uniform cross section, and more particularly to adjustment provisions for such machines which permit ready change-over so that parts having different cross-sectional dimensions may be formed by the same machine. Typical of such parts are the channel-like government locks used in sheet metal duct fabrication.

Heretofore it has been necessary to provide a separate roll forming machine (or different sets of removable rolls) for each such sheet metal part to be formed. For example, to obtain two parts which differed from one another only in their overall width, a separate roll forming machine, or at least a complete interchange of rolls, was required for each part.

The general purpose of this invention is to provide a roll forming machine having unique divided roll parts and means for adjusting the spacing of such rolls to accomplish forming of channeled parts having different widths and cross-sectional configurations. Such a machine not only reduces the equipment costs by performing the functions of several roll forming machines, but likewise minimizes space requirements.

Therefore among the objects of the present invention are the provisions of a roll forming machine: having adjustment provisions at each forming roll to optionally increase or decrease the effective forming roll widths presented to the metal strip stock formed thereby; having forming rolls whose positions on their powered spindles are readily changeable between predetermined locations, such roll positioning providing parts having different cross-sectional width; and having spacers carried by each forming roll for ready detachment and optional placement at predetermined positions along the roll spindle, thus varying the effective forming width of mating forming rolls.

In the present invention these purposes (as well as others apparent herein) are achieved generally by providing parallel and spaced apart side frame members in which are journaled the ends of a plurality of powered roll spindles. These roll spindles are provided in sets of two to provide forming stations spaced longitudinally along the frame members. Each roll spindle set includes an upper and lower roll spindle positioned above and below a pitch plane of the roll forming machine. The upper and lower roll spindles of each station are provided with rolls which mate with each other at one side or the other of the pitch plane.

The roll forming machine is characterized in that these mating forming rolls are divided perpendicularly to the spindle axes into parts. One of the divided roll parts is keyed to its spindles so that it is rotatable with it and also is free to slide in the axial direction of the spindle.

The roll forming machine is further characterized by spacer clips which are carried by each of the roll spindles and serve to adjustably position the slidable roll part on its shaft in at least two positions. These spacer clips are readily detachable from one position and securable to another position so as to position the slidable roll parts either adjacent to their fixed roll parts or spaced therefrom. In this manner of operation, the effective forming widths of the divided roll parts of the mating forming rolls are optionally increasable or decreasable.

Utilization of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from disclosures made in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of two adjacent roll stations of the roll forming machine of the present invention, all rolls outboard of the machine frame and the inboard roll elements of one station being removed and represented by phantom lines for clarity;

FIG. 2 is a sketch similar to FIG. 1 with the effective forming width of the inboard roll elements at each station increased by means of the adjustment provisions of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional sketch taken along line 33 of FIG. 2, the sheet metal at the roll station shown approaching its final shape; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional sketch taken along line 44 of FIG. 3 revealing in detail the adjustment provision employed at each roll.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. 1 a roll forming machine, general designated 10, having two adjacent roll stations, designated by dashed lines a-a and b-b, whose upper rolls 12 are complemented by lower rolls 13 (see FIG. 3) to form a two roll set at each roll station. The desired progressive forming of a sheet of metal 0 is accomplished by passing it between the forming rolls of each longitudinally spaced-apart roll set. In a typical machine as many as eight roll stations may be employed to progressively form the metal.

Basic forming roll mechanism The forming rolls 12 and 13 of each station are individually designed to impart a degree of bending so that the sheet metal stock progresses from its flat shape to its finished channel shape. The rolls consist essentially of powered roll spindles 14, spindle gears 16 and 17, hardened steel outboard and inboard roll elements, generally designated 18 and 20, respectively, and unique adjustment spacers, to be described hereinafter.

The roll spindles 14 of the upper and lower rolls 12 and 13 are rotatably journalled near each of their ends in unitary side frames 22. The side frames 22 are preferably cast metal members which are retained parallel to each other and perpendicular to the powered roll spindle axes by spacer bolts 24. The upper and lower roll spindles 12 and 13 are positioned above and below a pitch plane d-d of the roll forming machine 10, The pitch plane d-d is defined as that plane assumed by the flat sheet metal c as it is introduced into the machine; the forming or shaping of the metal taking place to one side or the other of such plane. Preferably the roll spindles 14 of the upper rolls 12 are vertically adjustable by conventional means to allow the roll forming machine to accommodate different sheet metal thicknesses.

The upper and lower spindle gears 16, 17 are secured to the spindles 14 to rotatably drive them upon actuation by a power source (not shown). Although the gears 16, 17 may be formed integrally to the inboard roll elements 20, it is preferable that they are separately removable so that they may be readily replaced. The lower spindle gears 17 of adjacent roll stations mesh with an intermediate gear 19 which is rotatably journalled in one of the side frames 22. The intermediate gears 19 are driven by a power train (not shown) to impart rotation to the lower gears 17, and thus cause rotation of the lower roll 13. As shown in FIG. 3, the upper spindle gears 16 mesh with the lower spindle gears 17, so that the rotation of the lower spindle gears 17 in one direction results in the upper spindle gears 16 and their powered roll spindles 14 rotating in the opposite direction. Thus, the sheet material between the inboard roll elements 20 of the upper and lower rolls 12, 13 is drawn longitudinally from the preceding roll station and driven toward the subsequent operation station.

Divided forming rolls The inboard roll elements 20 of each roll 12, 13 are formed on two divided roll parts 26, 28. These parts are split or divided perpendicular to their roll spindle axes. Each divided part 26, 28 includes adjacent elements of difierent sizes and shapes; for example, some adjacent elements difier in their diameters and length, while others are tapered to present sloping surfaces to the sheet metal 0. It is the design of these roll elements which influences the forming of the sheet metal c at each station to so provide the shape of the formed channel part.

The roll parts 26 are fixed to the roll spindles 14 and rotate with the spindles 14 when the intermediate gears 19 are actuated. These fixed parts 26 are not free to be moved axially along the roll spindles. However, the roll parts 28 are each provided with a keyway 30 which extends the length of the part. Into this keyway 30 may be inserted a key 32 which extends radially outward from the roll spindles 14. The roll parts 28, being so keyed to engage the roll spindles 14, rotate with the spindles; yet they are free to slide axially along the roll spindles 14 for the purpose of increasing or decreasing the eifective forming width of the inboard roll elements 20 in the manner to be described hereinafter.

Roll width adjustment provisions In order to readily position the slidable roll part 28 on the roll spindles 14 in at least two predetermined positions, spacer-clips 34 are provided on each of the roll spindles 14. As shown in FIG. 1, where the slidable roll part 28 has its inboard end roll element 40 adjacent to the fixed roll part 26, the spacer-clips 34 on each roll spindle 16 are placed between the slidable roll part 28 and an abutment washer 35. The washer 35 spaces the slidable roll part 28 and spacer-clips 34 from the side frame 22 to prevent wear and permit free rotation of such part. The spacing between the inboard end of the fixed roll part 26 and the abutment washer 35 is equal to the combined length of the slidable roll part 28 and the Width of these spacer-clips 34. All of the spacerclips 34 have the same width and are generally U-shaped, as may best be seen in FIG. 4. They are made of spring steel so that their inner grasping portions 36, which are formed to be spaced radially outward from the center 0 a distance slightly less than the radius of the roll spindles 14, tightly grip the roll spindles 14 when the clips are force-fitted onto them. The outer peripheral portions, designated 38, of the spacer-clips 34 are radially spaced at distances from the center 0 which are less than the radii of the divided roll elements and 42 between which the spacers are optionally inserted, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. The spacer-clips 34 further include 4 two peripheral shoulders 44 extending radial-1y, diametrically spaced from each other and facing in the same direction as the open end of the U shape, so that they may be gripped by a suitable extractor tool. Drawing the clips 34 away from the roll spindles 14 by applying force to'" the shoulders 48, relieves the grasp of their forcefitted gripping engagement with the roll spindles 14.

Operation When it is desired to increase the eifective forming width from that where the fixed and slidable roll parts 26, 28 abut at their inboard elements 42, 40, respectively, (FIG. 1) to that where such parts are spaced from each other (FIG. 2), an extractor tool (not shown) is inserted over the shoulders 44 of the spacer-clips 34 and the clips forcibly pulled from grasping engagement with the forming roll spindles 14. After all of the spacer-clips 34 have been removed from their outboard positions on the upper and lower roll spindles, the slidable roll parts 28 are moved axially along their roll spindles 14 until their outboard ends 46 abut against the abutment washer 35. This separates the forming roll parts 26, 28 at their roll elements 42, 40, respectively, and provides a space between them sufiicient to accommodate the removed spacer-clips 34. The U-shaped spacer-clips 34 are then forcibly snapped onto the roll spindles 14 within the space provided between the divided parts 26, 28 of the forming rolls 12, 13 to maintain them in such spacedapart relationship.

The flat sheet metal stock 0 is then fed between the upper and lower rolls 12, 13 of the first roll station, and the power train (not shown) for energizing the intermediate gear 19 is actuated. Because the divided inboard roll elements 40, 42 of the roll parts 28 and 26, respectively, have been spaced apart a distance equal to the width of the spacer-clips 34, the eifective forming widths of the, rolls are increased correspondingly. This increased forming widths results in a finished sheet metal part whose overall width corresponds to the increased width afforded by the inserted spacer-clips 34.

It should be noted that the spacers are provided at a position along the rolls where no bending pressure is being applied to the sheet metal c by roll elements. Because the spacer-clips 34 have an outer periphery portion which is of slightly less radial extent than the roll elements 40 and 42, they do not interfere with the travel of the sheet metal 0 in this unworked region.

When it is desired to narrow the effective forming width ofjthe inboard roll elements 22, the above procedure may be reversed, thus returning the slidable roll parts 28 and spacer-clips 34 to their original positions shown in FIG. 1. I n summary it may be seen that the present invention provides unique adjustment provisions and divided roll parts for optionally increasing or decreasing the effective forming roll widths of a roll forming machine. Single roll forming machines utilizing the present invention are capable of performing the functions of several roll forming machines, thus reducing capital investment and minimizing the sheet metal fabricators space requirements. Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. For example, it is contemplated that the rolls could be split into more than two parts with a plurality of spacer-clips provided on each shaft, each clip being available for insertion between any selected two of the several divided parts. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described.

I claim:

1. A roll forming machine, of the type having more than two forming stations, adapted for alternation between two predetermined widths of forming, comprising:

parallel, spaced apart side frame members,

upper and lower powered roll spindles rotatably journalled at their ends within said side frame members above and below a pitch plane therebetween,

abutment means at the inner surface of one of said side frame members at the point of journalling said spindles, and

forming rolls carried for rotation upon the upper and lower roll spindles, said forming rolls mating with each other at one side of the pitch plane,

each forming roll being divided perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of its said spindle into a first roll element fixed to its said spindle axially in a position remote from said abutment means, and

a second roll element keyed angularly to said spindle and slidable axially therealong,

a fixed-length path of axial sliding for said second roll element along said spindle, from a first position in which said roll element is in contact with said first roll element to a second position in contact with said abutment means,

whereby sliding it against said first roll element establishes a position for a narrower width of forming and sliding it against the frame abutment means establishes a position for a Wider Width of forming,

in combination with a spacer clip having an open side leading into a U- shaped inner surface including grasping portions fitted onto the spindle,

each said clip having a width equal to the axial length over which said slidable roll element is so slidable,

whereby affixing the clip on the spindle optionally on either side of the slidable roll element prevents said roll element from sliding out of either of said established positions. 2 A roll forming machine as defined in claim 1, wherein:

each said clip is formed of spring steel and has grasping portions formed at a distance from center which is slightly less than the spindle radius, whereby the clip may be force-fitted onto the spindle,

and wherein the outer surface of each said clip includes a pair of substantially diametrically opposite shoulders facing in the same direction as the open side of said U-shape, whereby a tool may be applied to the faces of said shoulders to withdraw the clip outwardly and relieve the grasp of its force fit.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,970,347 8/ 1934 Whitesell 72-181 FOREIGN PATENTS 957,307 5/1964 Great Britain.

MILTON S. MEHR, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

